Barber&#39;s or dentist&#39;s chair.



Patented July 18, 1399..

t, I H. B. KUEBSTEN. -BABBERS 0R DENTISTS CHAIR.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1897.)

4 Sheets-Sheet Nu Model.)

K Illl I! II I ii/m ji w v UNITED; STATESTATENT OFFICE;

HUGO R. KUERSTEN, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BARB'ERS OR nENTisTsci-lmn.

1 srncrrrcn'rron forming part a LettersPatent' No. 629,321, dated July 18, 1899. Application filed December 27,1897. semi in. 668,568. (No model.) A

To all whom, it iii/(Ly concern.-

. use the same.

Be it known that'I, HUGO R. KIlEBSTEN,,3L citizen of the United States, residing at Chicage, in the county of Cook and State of Illi- My invention relates to a novel construc-.

tion in a barbers or dentists chair, the'object being to provide a device of this charac ter which is raised and lowered by finid pres... sure by means of very simpleme'chanism and of otherwise novel and efficient construction and simple operation; and it consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings, illustratingmy invention, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section, partially in elevation, of a chair constructed in accordance with my invention, taken on the line 1 10f Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a detail view in'elevation, forming, practically, a continuation of Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a horizon tal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the upper end of the back of the chair. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 8. Fig. 5 isadetail sectional View on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on theline 6 6 of Fig, 5. Fig. 7 is a'detail sectional View on the line 7 7 of. Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a detailsectional view on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale,.taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view on the line 10 10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view on the line 11 11' of Fig. 1. Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view on the line 12 12 ofFig. 11. Fig. 13 is a detail sectional view on the line 13 13 of Fig. 1. Referring now to said drawings, A indicates the base of a'chai'r constructed in accordance V with my invention, which consists of a hollow downwardly-exten ding arms'4,b etween which a foot-lever 5 is pivotally mounted, which is normally held at. the upper limit of its movement by means of a springG, interposed be tween the same and one of said arms 4. Adjacent its upper end said casing 2 is provided with an opening 7, on each side'of which is an outwardly-extending lug '8, between which a dog 9. is pivoted, which is adapted to engage a ratchet 10 on a cylinderll, slidingly mounted within and adapted to be guided by said casing 2:. 1 Said cylinder 11 is rectangular on its exterior and round in itsinterior, said rectangular exterior corresponding insize and shape with the interior of said casing 2 with the exception of an enlargement 12-in the latter at its upper end, in which an adjustable angle-iron guide 13 is adapted to be fitted, which is 0perated by means of set-screws 13 to hold said cylin der 11 against working loose in its guides. Said cylinder 11 is open at its lower end and is adapted to receive a cylinder 14, telescopically movable within the same. Said cylinder 14 is open at itsupper and closed at its lower end and on its bottom is provided with two down wardly-extending lugs 15,through which apin 16 passes, which alsopasses through a slot 17 in the inner end of said lever 5, by means of which said cylinder is raised and lowered. Said cylinder 11 is provided with an annular flange 18 adjacent its upper end, which forms one member of the turn-table upon which the body of the chair revolves.

Above the point where said flange 18 is formed said cylinder 11 is reduced in size, so that the opening therein is contracted and an annular shoulder formed around said contracted opening.; A tube 19 is secured at its upper end in said contracted portion of said openings and extends downwardly concentric with said cylinder 14 and into the same. At its lower end said tube 19 carries a piston or plunger 20, which fits closely the inner wall of said cylinder 14 and is provided with an opening 21, controlled by a valve 22, provided with an opening 23. Said tube 19 is further pro- Vided with openings 24 above said plunger 20, through which it communicates freely with said cylinder 14. The entire b odyB of said foot-lever 5 depressed and raised alternately. The cylinder 11 is normally supported by the dog 9, which engages the rack thereon, so that when said lever 5 is raised and the cylinder 14 thereby depressed a partial vacuum will be formed in the chamber below the plunger, which will cause the valve 22 to open and cause the oil to pass from the upper into the lower chamber of said cylinder, and when said lever 5 is depressed, and thereby said cylinder 14 raised, the pressure in said lower chamber will cause said valve 22 to close automatically and prevent the oil from flowing back into the upper chamber of said cylinder, (the opening 23 in said valve being so small as to allow only a very limited amount of oil to pass therethrough,) and thus said plunger and cylinder 11 will be raised a given distance at every downstroke of the lever 5 and held in each successive higher position by means of the dog 9 and rack 10.

It will be obvious that if the upward movement of the chair is not limited the tube 11 would finally leave its guide, and thus drop. To prevent such a contingency, I have provided a rod 25, longitudinally.slotted, as at 26, and slidingly secured to said cylinder 11 by means of a lug 27. vided on its inner end with a projecting nose 28, which extends into the lower end of said slot 26 of said rod and is adapted to be engaged thereby when said body 13 approaches the upper limit of its movement and determines said upper limit. As said cylinder 11 moves upwardly it will be obvious that said lug 27 will gradually reach the upper end of the slot 26, and thus carry said rod up with it. As said rod moves upward the lower end of said slot 26 will engage the lower face of the nose 28 of said lever and in this manner prevent the other end of said lever 5 from rising, thus gradually shortening and finally entirely preventing its oscillatory stroke, and thus preventing said chair from being raised beyond a certain height. Said dog 9 is raised out of engagement with said rack 10 by means of a rod 29, pivoted at its upper end to said dog 9, which passes downwardly therefrom through a guide 30 on said casing l and terminates below said guide. The lower end of said rod 29 is adapted to be engaged and raised by means of a flat spring 31, secured to said nose 28 of said lever 5 and projecting beyond the same when said lever is depressed to the lower limit of its movement, thus releasing said dog 9 from its engagement with said rack 10 and transferring the load to the oil contained in the lower chamber of said cylinder 14, which as it gradually flows through the opening 23 in said valve 22 allows said chair to slowly sink to the lower limit of its movement.

The above construction is obviously very simple, durable, and efficient, and cheaper to manufacture than any other similar device of which I have knowledge.

Said annular flange 18 of said cylinder 11 is provided with an annular groove 32 in its Said foot-lever 5 is pro upper face, in which the annular projection 33 on the lower face of an annular flange 34 of a sleeve 35 is adapted to fit and revolve. Said sleeve 35 is provided with outwardlyextending arms 36, to which the chair-frame 37 is secured, and fits over the upper end of cylinder 11, which acts as a pivot therefor. Said flanges 1S and 34 are beveled on their outer edges, so as to give them the greatest diameter on their meeting faces, and around said edges a two-part clutch-ring 38 is mounted, which is adapted to clutch said flanges against relative rotation. Said clutch ring or strap 38 consists of two members terminatin g at their ends in outwardly-extending lugs 39 and 40 and 41. By means of said lugs 39 said members are pivotally secured together, while by means of said lugs 40 and 41 they are clamped tightly around said flanges to hold same against rotation. To this end I provide a shaft 42, pivotally mounted at its inner end in a lug 43 on one of said arms 36 and atits other end in the frame 37 of the chair, said shaft passing through said frame and carryinga crank-arm 44 on its outer end, by means of which it is revolved. Said shaft 42 passes through both of said lugs 40 and41 and carries a collar 45, adjacent said lug 40, and an eccentric 46, abutting against said lug 43. Adjacent said lug 41 said shaft carries a serrated clutch member 47,which is adapted to coaot with a similar clutch-face 48 on said lug 41 to force said lugs 40 and 41 together between said clutch 47 and said col-- lar 45, thus clamping said clutch upon said flanges to hold the latter against relative rotation. Said clutch members 47 and 48 are provided,respectively, with recesses and teeth adapted to fit the same, said recesses and teeth having inclined abutting cam-faces, so that in turning said members with relation to each other they are forced apart until the teeth have leftthe recesses and slide upon the plane portion of the member47 between the recesses therein, thus allowing said members relative rotation when at the outer limits of their movement with relation to each other. Said eccentric 46 is adapted to operate a rack 49, pivotally secured at one end to the pivoted foot-board 50 of the chair to throw said rack into and out of engagement with a lug 51 on said projection 43, and thus hold the said footboard and the back 52, which is connected with the foot-board by means of the arms 62, in any desired reclined position. As shown in Fig. 10, said eccentric 46 is so formed as to raise said rack 49 by a partial revolution of said shaft 42 and to hold said rack in its raised position during another partial revolution of said shaft. Said eccentric 46 and clutch member 47 are so arranged with relation to each other thatwhen said clutch member 47 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 9 said eccentric 46 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 10. In this position of said parts the crank-arm 44 stands in the position indicated by the line 53, the

clutch-ring 38 being expanded and the rack 49 raised, thus locking the reclining mechanism and permitting the chair to be revolved.

.By turning said crank-arm to the position inleased from its engagement with said lug 51,

. thus releasing the reclining mechanism,while est inconvenience.

said teeth on the lug 4 will slide upon the plane portion of the clutch-face of member 47, thus retaining said clutch-ring 38 in its clamped position. It will thus be seen that during none of the three positions of the crank-arm is more than one of the mechanisms controlled thereby released and that in' one position both are locked.

To the forward end of the frame 37 of the chair two standards 56 are secured, which are provided on their inner faces with metal plates 57, provided with openings through which lugs 58 on the outer faces of goosenecks 59 are adapted to pass, and as said goosenecks are secured to the outer edges of the frame of the foot-board 50 the latter is thus pivoted upon said frame. At the rear end of said frame '37 standards 60 are socured, to which the back 52 of said chair is pivoted through the intermediacy of the plates 61, rigidly secured to said back. Said back 52 and foot-board 50 are connected-by means of the arms 62, pivoted at their ends to said plates 61 and goosenecks 59 through the intermediacy of arms 63 and 64:, so that when said back 52 istilted backward the foot-board will likewise be tilted.

In reclining-chairs of this kind there has always been one great inconvenience namely, that when a person occupies the chair and the same is then reclined the back always catches the clothes and tends to pull them up upon the person, which is very uncomfortable and usually necessitates readjustment of the person in the chair. To overcome this disadvantage, I provide a movable seat 65, to the lower face of which iron guides 66 are secured, which run upon rollers 67, suitably secured to the frame 37. Adjacent the rear end of the seat said guides are bent to form an inclined portion 68, which serves to raise said seat when the same is moved rearward. Said seat is connected with the back 52 by means of the rods 69, pivotedat their ends to said seat 65 and the plates 61, respectively, whereby the movements of said back are transmitted to the seat and move the latter in accordance therewith in such a manner that the occupant of the chair will not be subjected to the slight- On the upper end of said back 52 I provide a head-rest 70, which is mounted in a frame 71, having a rearwardlyextending projection 72, forming a segment of a cog-wheel. The said projection 72 is pivotally secured between upwardly-extending arms 73 by means of pins passing through longitudinal slots in said arms. A lug or toothed casting 74 is mounted between said arms 73, which may be cast integral therewith, which is adapted to engage said toothed segment 72 to hold said head-rest in any desired position with relation to said arms 73. Said arms 73 are pivotally secured at their lower ends to the upper end of a rack-bar 7 5 and are adjustable thereon, a perforated segment 7 6 being provided on the upper end of said rack-bar, the perforations in which are adapted to be engaged by a spring-actuated pin 77 on one of said arms 7 3. Said rack-bar 75 is vertically movable in a guide or recess 78 in the upper end of said back 52 and is adapted to be engaged by a pawl 79, pivotally mounted in a frame 80 on said back and which is operated by gravity, so that when said back 52 is tilted said pawl will be thrown into engagement with said rack and hold said bar in the raised position. Said head-rest 7 0 comprises a curved plate 81, movable from side to side in the guide 82 in the frame 71. A cushion is mounted on said plate 81, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be obvious that by moving said head-rest from side to side while the head of the occupant is resting thereon the latter will be turned without necessitating.

cylinder successively in its raised position,

substantially as described.

2. In abarbers chair, the combination with a base provided with a guide, of a cylinder vertically movable in said guide and carrying the chair-body, a reciprocating cylinder telescopically mounted in said first-named cylinder, means for reciprocating'said cylinder, devices dividing said reciprocating cylinder into a plurality of chambers, connection between said devices and said chair, and a valve interposed in said devices, whereby when said cylinder is reciprocated movement will be imparted to said chair, substantially as described.

3. In a barbers chair, the combination with a base provided with a guide,of a cylinder vertically movable in said guide and carrying the chair-body, a rack on said cylinder, a dog on said base adapted to engage said rack to hold said cylinder in its raised position, a rod depending from'said dog, a lever pivotally mounted in said base, devices actuated by said lever for raising said cylinder, a slotted rod movably connected with said cylinder and adapted to be raised therewith when said cylinder approaches the upper limit of-its movement and to engage said lever to hold same against movement when said cylinder reaches the upper limit of its movement, and devices on said lever adapted to engage said rod connected with said dog for releasing the latter from its engagement with said rack to permit said cylinder and chair-body to descend, substantially as described.

4. In a barbers chair, the combination with the base, achair-body mounted upon devices movable in said base, and a lever adapted to operate said movable devices to raise said chair, of a device for determining the upper limit of movement of said chair-body comprising a member movably connected with said movable devices and adapted to engage the same and said lever when said movable devices approach the upper limit of their movement, to hold said lever against movement in one direction, devices on said base adapted to engage said movable devices for' holding said chair in its raised position, and means for releasing said movable devices to permit said chair to descend, substantially as described.

5. In a barbers chair, a base, a chair mounted on a member movable in said base, a plunger carried by said member, a reciprocating cylinder adapted to receive said plunger, devices for reciprocating said cylinder to compress fluid underneath said plunger to raise the same, devices for holding said plunger in its raised position, andvalvecontrolled connection between the chambers of said cylinder above and below said plunger for causing fluid to pass from the upper to the lower chamber of said cylinder at intervals corresponding with the downward movements of said cylinder, substantially as described.

6. In a barbers chair, a base, a chair mounted on a member movable in said base, a plunger carried by said member, a reciprocating cylinder adapted to receive said plunger, devices for reciprocating said cylinder to compress fluid underneath said plunger to raise the same, devices for holding said plunger in its raised position, valve-controlled connection between the chambers of said cylinder above and below said plunger for causing fluid to pass from the upper to the lower chamber of said cylinder at intervals corresponding with the downward movements of said cylinder, and means for releasing said plunger and permitting the fluid to slowly pass from the lower to the upper chamber of said cylinder, wherebysaid plunger gradually descends,sub stantially as described.

7. In a barbers chair, a chair-body movably mounted upon a base, and devices for raising the chair with relation to thabase, comprising a guide in said base, a cylinder movably mounted in said base and carrying the chair, a cylinder telescopically mounted in said firstnamed cylinder, a plunger in said last-named cylinder rigidly connected with said firstnamed cylinder, means for causing said cylinders to move with relation to each other to raise said first-named cylinder, and means for holding said first-named cylinder normally in its raised position, substantially as described.

8. In a barbers chair, a chair-bod y movably mounted upon a base, and devices for raising the chair with relation to the base, comprising a guide in said base, a cylinder movably mounted in said base and carrying the chair, a cylinder telescopically mounted in said firstnamed cylinder, a plunger in said last-named cylinder rigidly connected with said firstnamed cylinder, means for causing said cylinders to move with relation to each other to bring fluid-pressure to bear upon said plunger to raise said first-named cylinder, means common to said first-named cylinder and said devices for raising the same to limit the upward movement of said cylinder, devices for holding said first-named cylinder in its raised position, and means for actuating said lastnamed devices to release said cylinder and allow the same to descend, substantially as described.

9. In a barbers chair, a base and a chairbody, and means for raising and lowering said chair-body with relation to said base comprising a guide in said base, a cylinder vertically movable in said guide and carrying said chairbody, a reciprocating cylinder telescopically mounted within said first-named cylinder and adapted to contain a fluid, a plunger in said last-named cylinder rigidly connected with said first-named cylinder, a valve-controlled opening in said plunger adapted to operate automatically to permit the transfer of said fluid from above to below said chamber when said last-named cylinder is'reciprocated and to prevent the return of said fluid, an opening establishin g communication between the chambers above and below said plunger through which said fluid is adapted to return to the chamber above said plunger to permit the chair-body to descend, means for reciprocating said last-named cylinder, means for holding said first-named cylinder in its raised position, means for limiting the upward movement of said first-named cylinder, and means for releasing said cylinder to permit the same to descend, substantially as described.

10. In a barbers chair, the combination with a chair-body and a base, of fluid-pres to be raised and said, means for raising the same, to limit theupward movement of the former, substantially as described.

11. In abarbers chair, a base, a guide mounted in same, a cylinder vertically movable in said guide and carrying the chairbody, a cylinder telescopically movable in said first-named cylinder and adapted to contain oil, a plunger in said last-named cylinder rigidly mounted upon the lower end of a tube rigidly mounted at its upper end in the upper end of said first-named cylinder, a valve in said plunger adapted to automatically control an opening therein through which the oil in the chamber above said plunger is adapted to flow into the chamber below the same, an opening in said valve adapted to permit the oil to return slowly to said uppermost chamber to permit said chair to descend, a lever pivotally mounted between arms on said guide and engaging said last-named cylinder to reciprocate the same to raisesaid firstnamed cylinder, arack on. said first-named cylinder, a dog pivotally mounted in said guide and adapted to engage said rack to hold said first-named cylinder in any raised posi' tion, a rod pivotally secured at its upper'end to said dog, a spring on said lever adapted to engage said rod to release said dog when said lever is forced tothe lower limit of its-movement, and alongitudinally-slotted rod movably secured to said first-named cylinder and through which said lever is adapted to project, said rod being adapted to be engaged and raised when said first-named cylinder" approaches the upper limit andto engage said lever to limit the movement thereof, whereby the upward movement of said cylinder is limited, substantially as described.

12. In a barberis chair, a base, a recliningchair revolubly mounted thereon, a turn-table on which said reclining-chair turns, comprising two members revoluble one upon the other, a clutch surrounding both said members and adapted to hold same against relative rotation, acam on said clutch member, a shaft journaled in a rigid part of the chair-frame and passing through said clutch member, a collar on said shaft against which one end of said clutch member abuts, and a cam on said shaft adapted to coact with said cam on said clutch member and said collar to force the ends of said clutch member together to contract the latter, thus clamping said clutch on said members of said turn-table,substantially as described.

13. In a barbers chair, a base,-a recliningchair, a turn-table interposed between said base and said chair composed of two members revoluble one upon the other, a strap-clutch surrounding said members comprising two sections pivotally secured together atone point and provided with outwardly-extending lugs diametrically opposite said pivotal connection, a cam-face on one of said lugs, a shaft passing through both, said lugs, and a cam on said shaft adapted to engage said camface of saidlug to force said lugs together between said cam on said shaft and a collar on the same against which said other lug abuts, substantially as described.

14. In a barbers chair, a back pivoted'at clined, aseat movable on said frame, rods pivotally secure-d at one end to said back above its pivotal connection with the frame, and at their other ends with said seat,whereby when said back is turned on its pivot said seat will move in accordance therewith, and means for guiding said seat in its movements to raise the rear end thereof when said back is reclined comprising guide -strips having inclined portions and a roller engaging said strip, one of said members being mounted on the frame and the other on the seat, substantially as described.

' 16'. In a barbers chair, a back adapted to be reclined, a movable seat, and means connecting said back and said seat so that the latter is moved backward by the backward movement of the former, substantially as described.

17. In a barbers chair, the combination with a back provided with-a pivotally-adjustable head-rest frame, carrying a guide at its upper end, of a segmental plate horizontally movable in said guide, and carryinga cushion wherebythe head of the occupant can be turned from side to side without contact of the hand of the operator.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUGO R. 'KUERSTEN.

Witnesses:

EBWIN J. Low, WM. B. SNOWHOOK. 

